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Declaration of final vote results in Serbia paves way for student movement to form government
Serbia’s election authorities have confirmed that the student-led opposition won a majority in the 25 October parliamentary election, clearing the way for it to form a new government. The result marks a major shift after 14 years of rule by Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party and follows two years of student protests over corruption and government accountability.
The Students’ List will hold 140 of the 250 seats, compared with 103 for Vučić’s party; ethnic minority parties will take the remainder. Its candidates include professors, teachers and other specialists with little political experience, and have pledged to strengthen the rule of law and tackle corruption. Parliament must convene within 30 days after mandates are formally allocated, while detentions over alleged election fraud, attacks on protesters and corruption have continued.
In short
- Student-led group wins 140 of Serbia’s 250 parliamentary seats.
- The result opens the way to a new government after 14 years of SNS rule.
- The change follows protests over corruption and a deadly station canopy collapse.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters can argue that the result gives voters a clear opportunity to replace a long-standing government after sustained protests over corruption and accountability. A student-led administration, including specialists from outside established party politics, could bring fresh scrutiny and pursue its pledges to strengthen the rule of law.
The case against
Sceptics can argue that winning an election does not by itself show that a movement with little governing experience is ready to manage the state or turn broad pledges into workable policy. They may also worry that replacing one dominant political force with a newly formed coalition could create instability, particularly while election-related investigations and tensions continue.